Battery packs may consist of a plurality of battery cells, where the tabs of the battery cells are conductively joined to one another to form the battery pack. The battery tabs may be joined by resistance or laser welding to form an electrically conductive path between battery cells or between a battery cell and a terminal of the battery. Variability in the welding process may result in variation in the welded connections between the tabs which may cause variation in the electrical conductivity of the battery pack. The battery tab is irreversibly modified by the welding process such that upon separation of one battery tab from another, the welded battery tabs may become damaged or deteriorated such that the tabs and corresponding battery cells are no longer usable.
Multicell battery packs, e.g., battery packs containing multiple battery cells which are electrically connected to one another, may be used in automotive applications including hybrid vehicles. At the end of the useful life for the automotive application, a battery cell in a multicell battery pack may retain a significant percentage of its capacity such that the battery cell may be recycled to or reused in a lighter duty application with lower voltage and/or capacity requirements. Reuse of the battery cell may require disassembly of the battery cell from the battery with the battery tab substantially intact, e.g., in an undamaged or reusable state. Welded battery tabs may be damaged when separating the welded connection to the extent that the tabs are not reusable, such that the battery cell cannot be recycled, e.g., cannot be attached to another battery cell or terminal or reconfigured into another battery pack. Additionally, deterioration and/or damage to the battery tab during separation of the welded joint may limit the ability to recover materials from the damaged battery cell, by affecting the ability to deconstruct the battery cell for materials recycling.